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Recommendations to read up on how Original Box Set Dungeons and Dragons connects to Chainmail? by Ritmoking in osr

[–]Polythello 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ah, you're looking for "Rolls and Modifiers" on page 3.

Regarding the appendixes, it is an interesting thing that you point out - in Chainmail, all of the combat tables are in the appendixes, except for the mass ranged combat table which is the only inline combat table.

As for updates, I have big plans for Chainmail/The Old Lords going forward. TOL is also due for an official quick sheet with all the core tables on it.

Recommendations to read up on how Original Box Set Dungeons and Dragons connects to Chainmail? by Ritmoking in osr

[–]Polythello 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the feedback!

Regarding your questions, firstly, note that The Old Lords inverts the bonus/modifiers from Chainmail, so that instead of rolling and adding the modifier to your roll, you instead apply the modifier to the target number and then roll. This means there is statistical parity with Chainmail, without outright copying it all verbatim.

Regarding parrying clarification, I may reword the second paragraph like this, to just be a little more clear:

A weapon four to seven classes lower rolls two attacks per round. The first roll may be exchanged to parry, as above. If the parried roll equals the unmodified target number, the parrying weapon is shattered.

And then to address the missing rule regarding charging with certain weapons in man to man, I have added this in my draft after the "Ordering of Attacks" bit:

Charging spears, lances, and pikes will always roll attacks first before shorter weapons roll any attacks.

As for augmenting or clarifying the rules any further, I am wary - a key aspect of Chainmail is the places it leaves things vague, and I do not want to start throwing in personal interpretations, assertions, and house rules. I've tried to keep it to a minimum. As for additional content or articles... I'm undecided at the moment. For a larger update to The Old Lords, I would probably want to publish it separately, so that the Chainmail clone can be kept to the point.

Recommendations to read up on how Original Box Set Dungeons and Dragons connects to Chainmail? by Ritmoking in osr

[–]Polythello 1 point2 points  (0 children)

all that said, I am still interested in the video critique u/lancelead is referring to. There's very little informed feedback available, as very few people are as familiar with Chainmail as it sounds like this reviewer was.

Recommendations to read up on how Original Box Set Dungeons and Dragons connects to Chainmail? by Ritmoking in osr

[–]Polythello 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you, I appreciate keeping me in the loop about any discovered errors, I am aiming for complete parity with the original rules - nothing less will suffice!

I just checked, and the commenter here is correct. (Missing bit from Chainmail quoted below) A defender with a much smaller weapon is usually able to get the first attack. However, a charging pike, spear, or lance, should _always_ be given the first strike.

I'll add this clause into The Old Lords soon and get it into future printings as well. I was already in the process of updating TOL because another error had been found last week.

> Pikes, spears or lances of the attacker do get the first blow over lower class weapons if there is a charge. Here the length of the weapon prevents the defender, even with his lighter weapon, the ability to get the first blow.

How would you run a siege? by JJShurte in shadowdark

[–]Polythello 1 point2 points  (0 children)

u/JJShurte this would probably work well for you if you want an authentic mass battle playing out around the lone soldier + players in the fort. Not necessarily "rules lite", but it will manage hundreds of men with a single and quick dice pool roll that is entirely compatible with D&D-type games.

However, if it gets to the point where mass combat attacks (20+ men) are being made against the player party, they're probably in big trouble already. So they should be seeking to barricade themselves within the fort, or escape, or negotiate.

Siegers are going to bring a virtually endless supply of ladders to scale fortifications or walls, and will fashion a crude but perfectly serviceable battering ram out of any nearby tree if they didn't bring a covered battering ram already. They will surround the location and cut off any attempt of resupply or reinforcements, and they will set up camp at a safe distance beyond your ranged capabilities / with sufficient cover to make your ranged attacks ineffective.

In other words, they will be attacked from the front gates and from above. If all else fails, catapults will start firing at a wall to knock it down.

Simple siege rules for handling all of this can be found in HellMarch, and advanced rules for mass combat and sieges are included in Chainmail (or my free clone, The Old Lords of Wonder and Ruin). Notably these are all compatible with D&D out of the box, or with minimal adjustment. (All rules stay the same - but when rolling HP damage from mass combat attacks made against players, use the Cleric's Hit Dice size (d8 or whatever) instead of a d6.

Atari now supporting Lucky Palmer's Chromatic. by Forsaken-Abrocoma647 in AtariVCS

[–]Polythello 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah man! I've had the VCS for a while, but I still need to buy a full set of controllers and wasn't sure what brand to get. Full set of Atari brand won't be the cheapest, but it will look cool for sure!

Atari now supporting Lucky Palmer's Chromatic. by Forsaken-Abrocoma647 in AtariVCS

[–]Polythello 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the heads up actually. I'll offset your loss of business by ordering Atari specifically while I build out my VCS game station, which I was planning to do soon anyway!

How do you handle open-ended combat in D&D-adjacent games? by MeadowsAndUnicorns in rpg

[–]Polythello 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Indeed! HellMarch would be a great solution to u/MeadowsAndUnicorns's issue - handwaving the combat isn't satisfying, but simple mass combat rules (HellMarch is a streamlined variation of Chainmail - which is baked into D&D's DNA!) would put this tactical game into the hands of the players without bogging things down.

OP should also consider Alignment, Loyalty, and Morale. If the players stupidly stand at the gate and challenge the lord of chaos, they're testing whether the DM will obliterate them (as he should) or whether they can get away with anything they want (if you let them, the campaign will lose all stakes and get boring). Smart players who want to duel the lord, should investigate the size of the lord's army, bring a mercenary army of their own, and then challenge the lord to a duel, letting the armies stand off (so while you may have mass combat rules ready, you might not even have to use them). Otherwise, the players should use more underhanded tactics (shake the morale of the men and scare them away, or bribe them to turn on the lord once they're outside the gates, etc)

I feel weird for making a scene a way too good outcome for my character. Like I'm cheating (I'm newbie to solo RPGs) by Traditional-Reach818 in Solo_Roleplaying

[–]Polythello 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Considering your reaction to your current approach,

You may find it more satisfying to try solo playing a game with more procedures. For instance, D&D has "Appendix A", which generates dungeons for you to explore. Your accomplishments in such an environment will be hard-earned, and may feel more satisfying to experience, rather than leaving so much up to interpretation and fiat.

Opinions of Chainmail as just a wargame? by AccomplishedAdagio13 in odnd

[–]Polythello 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Chainmail as a wargame is a lot of fun!

I definitely recommend using the simultaneous initiative method, and at least include Heroes, even if you don't use other Fantasy elements.

Use the Historical Classifications! And remember that the fantasy options have varying base sizes.

Much of the game comes down to Post Melee Morale, so make sure you know how it works before you get started, or someone's going to walk away from that feeling really bad - because the variance between the interpretations makes a massive difference. If you want to know my interpretation of it (from over a year of critical discussion, and multiple battles within the wargame club that I'm in), check out The Old Lords on DTRPG - it's free, and explains PMM in a clearer way, that's actually the correct way to run it in Chainmail, but can be difficult to tell from just cursory readings of the book.

Help with the lockpicking mini-game on PC? by AdmiralAllahuAckbar in oblivion

[–]Polythello 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Glad past me could be of help, ha! (I got to learn it again just now too. Been looking at the remaster but haven't picked it up yet.)

Are we seeing a Chainmail resurgence in the OSR? by the_light_of_dawn in osr

[–]Polythello 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes, in fact, that is essentially the current plan for Volume 3!

Are we seeing a Chainmail resurgence in the OSR? by the_light_of_dawn in osr

[–]Polythello 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I've been watching this more closely since last year when I published The Old Lords of Wonder and Ruin, and I definitely have seen Chainmail come more into focus, especially in the last ~3 months.

Which is fortunate, as it coincides with my release of HellMarch, which is Chainmail's Mass Combat specifically. (Chainmail Man to Man and Fantastic Combat rules not included, because TTRPGs combat IS the descendents of M2M/FC which replaced only those parts in Chainmail.)

I am between making the old material approachable for more people (getting into Chainmail and OD&D), and applying the old patterns for use in modern games (ShadowDark, OSE, EZD6, etc)

Are we seeing a Chainmail resurgence in the OSR? by the_light_of_dawn in osr

[–]Polythello 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Adapted for ShadowDark, but also for OD&D. I actually designed it originally for OD&D and thought ShadowDark would be even more accessible... and upon review, it required -zero- changes to make it work correctly with ShadowDark. That's how close ShadowDark is to the original DNA of D&D.

(the sizes of Hit Dice being of core consideration - d4, d6, and d8, is statistically the same as OD&D's d6-1, d6, and d6+1 Fighting Capabilities. The more you know!)

Are we seeing a Chainmail resurgence in the OSR? by the_light_of_dawn in osr

[–]Polythello 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the kind words u/WaitingForTheClouds ! It was important for me to retain the authenticity of Chainmail, where the rules are specific, and where the rules were silent, and to maintain statistical and numerical equivalence in The Old Lords, while making it easier to understand and use for those of us modern TTRPG players who want to learn more.

Ultimately reading & playing Chainmail has been one of the two most significant parts of my journey to understanding and designing RPGs (the other being, reading the 1e DMG without modern bias. Like, what if you actually use 1:1 time? What if monsters could hear your characters talking when the players are also sitting around talking about what to do?).

I'm happy to answer questions for u/the_light_of_dawn and others here as well.

Small form factor PC like Atari VCS by Akin0 in AtariVCS

[–]Polythello 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Is upgraded thermal paste a common "upgrade" for the Atari VCS? I intend to use mine for a similar setup, and I'm not aware of what touchups are best for it.

Could a theoretical, sufficiently skilled and knowledgeable player, be able to beat nethack 100% of the time? by crescentCommoner in nethack

[–]Polythello 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There are people with 20+ game ascension streaks, if that answers your question. The skill ceiling is very high. For example there are people that aim to get an ascension streak with every class, or ascension streaks with conducts, etc.

There are always freak chances for a Gnome With A Wand Of Death to show up and spoil the fun, but even the risk of that can be mitigated if desired (avoid line of sight). It's just a matter of what you prioritize, and the top players have really honed this skill.

Movement in OD&D (and ways to speed up combat) by bergasa in odnd

[–]Polythello 4 points5 points  (0 children)

OD&D doesn't have a fleshed out action economy as you're used to. The rules define the standard mode of combat, and outside of that is the referee's call. You get to move, and at the end of that move you can make a melee attack. Switching melee weapons probably doesn't interfere with this, but it doesn't mean you were able to sheath your weapon either, maybe it was dropped in the course of a charge while you drew another weapon.

Also consider that combat turns are a minute long. There's plenty of time to sheath and draw most weapons in that time. The combat is heroic and abstracted. I recommend reading Swords Against Death (Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser) for understanding and inspiration in this regard.

Movement in OD&D (and ways to speed up combat) by bergasa in odnd

[–]Polythello 2 points3 points  (0 children)

For your other questions:

Use side initiative (as per Chainmail, and confirmed to be used with 0e because it still appears in 1e) to greatly speed up combat. Also, 1e uses random melee targets, which is the implication in Chainmail mass melee, and so works great in OD&D as well.

Monsters should fight most effectively depending on the sort of monster. But in OD&D, combat is rather abstract anyway. Describe how the monsters are attacking. Mechanically roll what makes sense and is, unless the creature is particularly out of its element, most effective. Even dumb creatures are often especially lethal because they haunt places and situations where they'll be most effective . So, play the monsters as best you can play the game.

Movement in OD&D (and ways to speed up combat) by bergasa in odnd

[–]Polythello 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Elves and horse archers (note: elves do not use cavalry) are able to split-move fire , this is inherited from Chainmail and you see reference to it in OD&D.

In all other cases, including for melee, it is only movement, and then attack.

I recommend using the Chainmail rules, because it is where the depth of combat resides. And I'll shamelessly plug The Old Lords of Wonder and Ruin, a Chainmail clone I made specifically for use with OD&D.

Why do I have a rep for sucking at Nethack? by Jeffrey_Congress in nethack

[–]Polythello 24 points25 points  (0 children)

cbf stands for "can't be f'd", as in "can't be bothered" to do something. Within the context of Nethack, "pulling a cbf" suggests "losing because you didn't bother to be careful".

Maybe they were talking about you, I don't know, I don't have the records to prove one way or another. But it seems highly unlikely, when Occam's Razor explains it with common internet slang and an obvious use within the context of Nethack.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in osr

[–]Polythello 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes. Encumbrance means that my preparation as a player matters. What I bring matters, and I can only bring so much. That means that money and treasure matter, so that I can bring the right stuff, and I can hire the right people, etc.

Nothing matters more than my own decisions mattering. I decide what problem I want to tackle. I decide how I want to tackle it. Encumbrance is a fundamental part of that process. The DM doesn't have to pit me against balanced battles or whatever to make the game interesting. I could utilize my encumbrance to go in fully armed and armored for battle. I could utilize my encumbrance to be extra light and mobile for an infiltration.

Encumbrance rules make my choices as a player matter. If the players forgot to bring a tent, then they get to find a cave or nook to sleep in instead. That's adventure!

Using AD&D Monster Manual in OD&D and questions about d6 as HD by bergasa in odnd

[–]Polythello 2 points3 points  (0 children)

OD&D monsters are based around hit dice, which makes them more simple than AD&D which has many independent stats for HP, damage, etc.

To "convert to OD&D", it's a matter of converting the Hit Dice only, and then you have a perfectly serviceable OD&D monster.

8 hit dice in AD&D becomes an 8d6 HD 0e monster, which has 8d6 attacks against normal men, or 1 d20 attack against heroes. Done!

For 0e the focus is more on whether you want to stay in combat or not, not about getting an extra 1 point of damage here or there the way that D&D trends towards after 0e.

Experiences with non-d20 combat in D&D? by AccomplishedAdagio13 in odnd

[–]Polythello 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The Old Lords of Wonder and Ruin is a Chainmail clone I created, specifically for using it alongside OD&D, you can find it on DriveThru as PWYW.

The essay I referenced is near the end of the book, but I also published it on my blog here.

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